We’ve been treated recently to recipes and cookbooks promoting “slow” food. Slow food is a kind of protest against “fast” food. It captures the pleasure of cooking, especially as it promotes fellowship around a dinner table.

Last fall, I enjoyed slow travel. I rode the train between Portland and Seattle. Train travel, properly done, is a civilized way to travel.

As we traveled north, I contemplated river currents and fall colors and the beginnings of Puget Sound. We rode under the Tacoma Narrows Bridge and into the first area of industrial development, as well as suburbs and urban linear parks. Bikers, hikers, and parents pushing strollers looked up as we passed. Some waved.

I caught up on magazines and enjoyed a slow mystery.

Years ago my husband and I traveled by train along the Rhine River in Germany. The scenery looked like West Virginia with castles. Unhindered by constricted seating, we enjoyed conversation, reading, and watching the towns we passed.

Europe, smaller than North America, is ideal for trains. Some trains travel at speeds approaching 200 kilometers per hour or over 100 miles per hour.

One day perhaps the U.S. will develop an effective train system. Trains could connect with airlines—airlines for long distances, but frequent trains covering the areas between. Civilized slow travel.